Soul Eater: Suki Myori
by Lolig
Summary: After months of running from her parents' and brothers' murders, fourteen-year-old Suki Myori finally manages to make it to Death City, where she receives a warm greeting from the people there,and is lead on many adventures!
1. New Arrival

Suki Miyori walked through the gates of Death City after coming from her home town, a two months journey away. Her shoulder-length, straight red hair hung over her face, and her green eyes stared as the tall gates closed behind her. She looked around the town, at the different buildings, stores, and homes. Down the street, towering above it all, Suki saw the ginormous building of the DWMA; the Death Weapon Meister Academy.

Suki took out a crumpled photograph of her and her family. Horrid images flashed in her mind. Images of her eight year old brothers, Masaki and Motoki, being decapitated ruthlessly, her mother, with snake-like things crawling all over her, tortured and bloody, and her father, who helped her escape before he disappeared into the house. The last thing she heard was him screaming in agony.

Tears staining her cheeks for the twentieth time, she choked out, "I made it, Dad. Like I promised."

She heard him mention a name, but she couldn't remember it now. She had been running for so long, having no idea where she was going, she had forgotten the rest of her journey's requirements. She had to find a man named…what?

She gave up. It was getting dark anyway. She made shelter inside an alleyway, piled the coat her father had shoved into her arms on top of her, threw the backpack she found in a dumpster and filled with food she stole aside, and tried to sleep.

The next day, as she was walking in the market, Suki saw a strange dark figure dart in front of her, running away. She didn't know who he was, but he suddenly stopped and beckoned her over. She ran closer to him, but he darted away. She chased him until he stopped in front of the closed gates of the DWMA. He turned to face her, and she saw a boy. He looked about her age, and had black hair with three white bars on one side, cut precisely down the middle, golden eyes, and pale skin. His cloak billowed when he walked, and his clothes were perfectly symmetrical. He had two skull rings, one on each middle finger.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The boy didn't speak. He just turned toward the gates and opened them. He gestured for her to follow him. Suki hesitated, then started to walk behind the stranger. In a second, two girls accompanied him. One looked about as serious as the boy, with long dark blond hair and dark, piercing blue eyes. The other had light blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a bright smile, giving her a more welcoming, bubbly appearance. They wore matching red shirts with white cropped jackets and jeans, with boots and a hat. The darker haired girl had longer jeans than the other one. But overall, they looked like twin cowgirls.

Suki stared in confusion at the trio. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice growing nervous.

The boy walked forward and stopped within a foot of her. "We know about your family," he said calmly.

"What? How do you know?"

"My father, Lord Death, sensed you coming. He knew you planned to come here when you became of age, but the wavelengths of your soul said something was wrong. You were alone, scared. My father sent me to bring you here. He said your father had a plan for you in this city."

"Lord Death…my mother mentioned him. Doesn't he run the DWMA?" Suki asked him.

The boy nodded. "Yes, he does."

"You never answered my first question."

"I'm sorry?" The boy raised a confused eyebrow.

"When you turned to face me, I asked you who you were. What's your name?"

"Oh. Well, I am Lord Death's son, Death the Kid. You can just call me Kid. These girls are my weapons. The one with longer hair is Liz, and the other one is Patty. You're Suki Miyori, aren't you?"

Suki nodded, giving the girls a short wave. Patty returned it, but Liz was too busy fixing her cuticles.

"Well, let's go inside. My father wants to speak to you." Kid turned and went toward the giant doors of the Academy. Suki followed, admiring the building. The interior was magnificent. The entire place was huge. But Suki had to keep up, so she didn't have time to admire the scenery.

Soon they entered a large set of doors. "Father," Kid called as they walked under several sets of guillotines, maybe twenty feet high. They walked on until they made it to a large podium-like end of the large room. On that podium was a large mirror and a figure that seemed to be covered in a tattered black cloth looking at them through a white mask. The mask was shaped like a cartoony skull, and he had what looked to be white foam hands that materialized from his body.

"Ah, Kid! You found her. Wonderful!" Lord Death's voice was pleasant and welcoming. He looked Suki over. "You've come a long way, haven't you?"

"All the way from my house," Suki said, looking down at her tattered, dirty clothes she had stolen from a shop.

"Not to worry," Lord Death said, waving a white finger at her. "We'll get you cleaned up soon, my dear. Your father made sure everything was ready for when you came to the DWMA. All the preparations are made. All you need to do is choose a weapon.

"But you must be absolutely exhausted," Lord Death continued. "And you'll need a place to stay. Just a moment." He turned toward the mirror behind him and their reflections shimmered until a new face showed up in the mirror. It was the image of a girl her age, fourteen, with ash blond pigtails and green eyes. She wore a white blouse under a yellow sweater vest, a red plaid skirt, and black boots with white buckles. She looked pretty, and her smile was welcoming and polite.

"Hello, Lord Death," the girl said, her voice making her more welcoming and kind.

"Hello, Maka. Listen, I need to ask you a favor. I would like you to take someone into your home for a while, until I can find a more permanent place for her. I hope I can count on you for that?"

"Of course. When will she be here? I can't wait to meet her."

"She'll arrive tonight. No need to give her food, I will feed her before she comes."

"Alright. Wow, I can't wait to meet this person. What's her name?"

Lord Death chuckled. "She'll tell you when she gets there. She'll just say, 'I'm your new roommate.'" He waved a finger playfully as he said this. Suki liked Lord Death's sense of humor.

Maka smiled. "Okay."

"Thanks a lot!" Maka and Lord Death waved at each other, then her image faded from view.

"Perfect," Kid said, speaking for the first time. Suki jumped, forgetting he was there. Patty giggled, and Kid hid a smile. "Now that she has a place to stay, why don't we get her cleaned and fed?"

Lord Death looked at them and tilted his head. "But how are we going to get you some new clothes? We don't have—"

"I'll see if I can let her keep some," Liz piped up. "And maybe, I can take her shopping sometime."

"That's a good idea," Suki said shyly. "I'd like that. Thanks."

"First and foremost, you need to wash up. I'm sure Kid can help with that." Lord Death looked at Kid, who nodded, his face beginning to flush.

"Y-yeah, I can help with that. Um…come on, I'll show you to my room." Awkwardly, Kid led her out of the Death Room. Suki glanced back once more to see Liz and Patty wink at her and make hearts at them with their hands.

She turned back and giggled, which caught Kid's attention. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Suki smiled.

Once she had showered and gotten cleaned up, Suki put on some clothes that Liz had given her. They fit perfectly. She looked at herself one more time in the mirror. Her red hair was brushed, and Liz had given in an "edgy curl" by slightly curling the edges of her hair so it framed her face cutely. Her pale skin shined cleanly, and her green eyes shone brightly, like they used to do. She was dressed in a plain red shirt with a nice pair of jeans and calf high boots. She felt much better. Refreshed, ready to face the world now.

"Okay Kid," she called. "I'm dressed."

Kid walked through the door and froze when he saw her. She smiled. "What do you think? Do you like it? Is it good?" she asked.

"Yeah. You look…" He cleared his throat and straightened. "Great. You look great."

"Okay. Then I'll see you soon!" She grabbed her backpack and ran to find Maka Albarn.

Soul Evans

"Maka!" Soul shouted. "When are you making dinner?"

"Would you relax?" Maka shouted back. "I'm trying to prepare a room for our new guest."

"'New guest?'" Soul repeated, fixing the headband so it fit comfortably in his white hair. He blinked his red eyes at the mention of the guest. "Who is he? When's he coming over?"

"She'll be over soon. I don't know what her name is, though."

Just as she finished the sentence, there was a knock at the door. Soul got up, stuck his hands in the pockets of his yellow and black jacket, and walked to the door. When he opened it, he saw a pretty girl, maybe fourteen, with red hair and green eyes. And she looked H-O-T.

"Hi," the girl said shyly. "I'm Suki Miyori. I am your new roommate. Is Maka Albarn here?"

"Uh…uh…" Soul shook his head, mentally kicking himself for getting distracted by her pretty face. "Yeah, come in. She's prepping your room right now. You hungry?" He closed the door behind her and flopped back onto the couch.

"No, I ate already." Suki smiled politely. "Thanks though."

"Hey, Soul! Who was it?" came Maka's voice from the other room. Then she walked out and saw Suki.

"Maka, this is Suki. She's that new roommate you mentioned," Soul said, managing to take his eyes off of Suki's face.

"Hey. Your room's back here." Maka walked to the back room and the girls got to talking.

"How long is she staying?" Soul called.

"Until Lord Death can find a permanent place for her," Maka replied.

"He'd better not rush," Soul muttered under his breath, then grabbed the remote to the television and settled in.


	2. The Godfather

As they stood in front of the large, creepy-looking building, Suki felt a shiver of fear slide down her spine. She didn't know this guy, but something felt odd about it.

"You're sure this is the place?" Suki asked the man behind them. The man—er, zombie—had black cornrow hair, white eyes without pupils, and a dark, blush skin tone. He was her former teacher, Sid Barett. Sid had supposedly died this morning and Maka, Soul, Tsubaki, Black Star, Suki, and her weapon, Akito, were sent to find him. They found him in the cemetery, where he staged an act of trying to kill them. He managed to knock Suki and Black Star around a little bit, but otherwise, they were unharmed.

"I'm sure," Zombie Sid replied. "This is where he lives. Dr. Franken Stein."

Suki told Akito to change form, and tossed him into the air a little bit. He suddenly changed from a small dagger to a boy a year older than her, fifteen, with blond hair swept to one side, and blue eyes. He wore a black jacket over a red shirt, and jeans with white sneakers. He stood close to her, almost protectively, and whispered, "Do you hear that?"

Suki motioned for the others to be quiet. Then she listened carefully.

There was a sound inside, like something rolling across the floor. She tensed, her heart pounding. Akito stood in front of her.

Suddenly, a figure literally fell from the shadows. It was a man with grayish hair, brown eyes, and glasses. His face had stitches running along it in a couple of places, and he wore a lab coat and white pants. The shirt he wore beneath the coat was brown, with more stitches, like on his face, giving it lopsided stripes. He got up and Suki noticed a large screw running through both of his temples. Suki had to resist the urge to scream.

"Still doesn't feel right," the man said, turning the screw. There was an audible clicking sound, like someone winding a music box. It almost made Suki sick.

"Is this guy for real?" Soul and Akito asked simultaneously.

The man picked up the office chair he had fallen out of and went back into the shadows. The cycle repeated. Same rolling sound. Same fall.

"Okay, stop!" Suki yelled as the man started to do it a third time. "Enough is enough. We heard you did this to Sid." She gestured towards the zombie.

The man clicked his screw again, and smiled as Suki couldn't resist a cringe. "Yes, I did."

Suki didn't have time to speak before Black Star piped up, talking about how he would "beat the crap out of him". Suki stopped listening. She turned to Sid and studied him. Then she turned back to Stein, who was talking to Maka. He seemed to be studying Suki at the same time, because he glanced at her a few times.

Akito stayed by her side, and that comforted her a bit. Something about this guy was weird, but not threatening.

Finally, after being challenged by Black Star, Stein dragged them out back to what looked to be an arena. Suki and Akito hung out in the back while Black Star and Maka took a few swings at him. She studied his motions, watched his techniques, and waited for the right moment.

Maka cried out as Stein pulled at her arm and reached for one of her pigtails. "No!" Suki yelled, lunging forward. She dropped Akito at the last second and pushed Maka away, causing Stein to instead grab a handful of Suki's hair.

"Ow! Let go!" Suki shrieked.

Stein leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "It's okay. I have this under control. I'm not going to hurt you or anyone else seriously."

Suki stopped struggling.

"Play along, but I'm going to keep talking. Okay?"

Suki responded with a series of weak struggling movements followed by a string of grunts and a few curses.

"I knew your father. He was a dear friend of mine," Stein said quietly, pretending to make motions that said "I'm thinking of where to cause pain". He continued to speak. "In fact, he and your mother actually made me your godfather."

Suki's eyes widened, and she felt odd. That's why he was so familiar. She'd heard his name before a couple of times. Her dad had mentioned him once or twice.

"Black Star Big Wave!" Black Star hit Stein in the small of his back, and he was thrust forward. Suki went forward too, and her head suddenly smacked against the ground. Her vision blurred and her heart pounded in her ears. Then all she saw was empty blackness.

When she came to, she was back in Maka's house, and Soul was holding a cold cloth on her forehead.

"Hey," he said. "You okay?"

Suki nodded and sat up. "What happened?"

"You hit your head, knocked yourself out. By the way, Lord Death sent you a letter, and all your stuff's gone." He handed her an envelope. She opened it and pulled out a note. "Go to your godfather. He's your legal guardian now. Signed, LD."

Her godfather. Dr. Franken Stein. She knew that's what he meant. She got up and walked to the door, calling over her shoulder, "I'll see you guys in class tomorrow."

She walked down the street and back to that weird-looking building. Stein was standing there on the front porch waiting for her. Suki, whose eyes had started to tear up, pursed her lips and walked onto the porch towards the nervous-looking Stein.

"Your father and I went to school together when we were young," he said when she approached him. "We kept in touch. When I found out that I was your godfather, I was ecstatic. I still have pictures of you and your brothers as little kids. Your mom would send them to me every Christmas. Looking at you now, I couldn't be more proud." He held his arms out to Suki, and she hesitated before jumping into his arms. The memories of her family made her eyes water more, and sobs choked her breathing. She cried into his chest, and he held her there.

Once she calmed down, he led her inside and showed her to her room. Her things were already unpacked and organized neatly.

Suddenly, a smoke alarm went off. Stein ran into the kitchen, Suki on his heels. "Damn it!" he yelled. "That was dinner!"

Suki peeked over at what he was making. Fish, and there was rice on the stove as well. The water was boiling over, and the fish was on fire. Suki helped Stein put out the flames and clean up.

When they finally relaxed, and managed to make a good dinner, thanks to Maka's teaching, she looked at Stein and laughed.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You," she answered. "You can't even cook fish. Wow, you're hopeless." She erupted into giggles on the last word.

"Hopeless?" he said, grabbing Suki's arm and pulling her into a bear hug. She gasped in surprise, then started to struggle. He held her tight, and asked again, "Am I really hopeless?"

Suki giggled. "Yep. What kind of man can't even cook rice?"

"I'll show you who's hopeless," he told her, then began to tickle her. She kicked and screamed her protests, but all he said was "Give up and admit you're more hopeless than me."

He continued to tickle her for a few minutes before she finally gave in, still giggling hysterically. Then he stood up and, trying to act angry, said, "I'm going to bed. Night."

She giggled and stuck her tongue out at him, and he left her alone. He felt happier now. Content. Complete. He looked at a photo of her and her brothers playing in a yard and smiled. She looked so happy then. Carefree, and just like a little girl who only had to worry about her family. He thought she had died in the fire too. Seeing her here now, he felt grateful. He laid down on his bed, and fell asleep still wearing his lab coat and shoes.


	3. The Prank

"Come on now." Soul looked at Suki as she played with her short, red hair. "What really scares you?"

"I won't tell you that," Suki replied.

"Why not?" Soul asked.

"Because nothing scares me."

"Su, don't lie to me. Everyone's afraid of something."

"Did Black Star set you up to do this? Is that what this is?" she asked, tilting her head.

Soul shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not," he said.

Suki rolled her green eyes at him. "I gotta go." She stood up and bid him farewell. When she had gone, Black Star stepped in the library.

"Anything?" he asked.

"No," Soul sighed.

Black Star groaned.

"What are you two doing?" a voice said from behind them. The boys turned to find Kid standing there, books in hand, an eyebrow raised. Soul thought he looked, as usual, annoyingly symmetrical.

"Just trying to find out how to scare Suki out of her mind for Halloween," Black Star beamed.

"Something tells me you aren't getting very far," Kid replied.

Black Star's grin faded, and Soul sighed and laid his head on the table. "No luck," he said. "Can't get her to say a word about it. We're back to square zero."

Kid rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps you could allow me to try?"

"Really? You'd do that?" Black Star asked.

Kid shrugged. "Sure. I'm quite curious myself as to what results this could produce."

Suki went home after school that afternoon, but the lights were out. Not surprising, because the storm that was outside may have taken out half the power on the street. She took off her drenched coat, shook out her hair, and sighed. "I'm gonna have to shower later," she said aloud with a voice of despair.

Suki dropped her coat on the ground, along with her bookbag, and looked around. "Stein? Marie?" she called out, struggling to adjust to the darkness. Nothing. No sounds.

"Guys?" she tried again.

This time, there was a sound. A soft, slow clicking noise, like someone winding up a music box very, very slowly. But it was a sound she recognized. She knew that ticking sound, and so did the source.

"Ha ha, Stein. You're so very funny," Suki called, rolling her eyes in the dark. A smile found its way to her lips as she followed the ticking. She hit her knees against a few tables, and nearly tripped over something, but eventually she found her way to the ticking. A second more, then it stopped. She heightened her senses, and held her breath. Nothing. She sensed nothing.

The lights came back on, and she was staring into the empty kitchen. Suki sighed, heightening her senses further. She started to turn around, and Stein was staring down at her, covered in blood, his face emotionless.

"Help...me…" Stein wheezed before collapsing onto the floor.

"Stein!" Suki screamed, dropping to her knees and starting to panic. "No, no, no! Stein, no!" She tried to think of some way she could help him, but her head was spinning.

She heard him start to chuckle lightly, saw his shoulders shaking as he started to laugh. He turned his head to look at her. "Gotcha," he grinned.

Suki cocked her head, clearly confused.

Stein laughed harder and stood up, looking down at her in amusement. "Happy Halloween, Suki!"

Suki felt the smile returning to her lips as she stood up and punched his arm. "Don't do that! You scared me to death!"

Stein ruffled her hair. "Marie went food shopping. Might wanna go get some more jam, though." Stein gestured to his coat, which had been stained red.

Suki rolled her eyes, and the doorbell rang. "That must be Maka. We're going to discuss costume ideas for tomorrow. Everyone at the academy's gonna dress up."

Stein nodded. "I'll call you when dinner's ready."

Suki bounded to the door, and then she and Maka went to Suki's room.

"So," Maka started, sitting down on the bed. "What do you think?"

Suki stared at Maka for a few seconds, then said, "Witch. Not like Blair or Medusa, but like a cheesy horror movie witch, with the pointed hats and stuff. I think that'd look really good on you."

Maka pondered this, then nodded. "Soul and Liz said the same thing," she smiled. "What about you? Do you have anything to use?"

Suki opened her closet and dug through it. "I only have a Red Riding Hood costume in here."

Maka beamed brightly. "We could make you into a demon! Dress you up as the innocent girl, but with an evil twist to it!"

Suki looked at Maka. "That's a really good idea! I like that!"

Halloween drew closer and closer. The entire city was ready once the day finally arrived. Decorations lined every house, people in the streets were all dressed up, including Suki as she skipped to the academy with a basket in her hands.

With the help of Liz, Maka, Stein, and Marie, Suki had been transformed from a cute, innocent girl with a red cape into a horrifically grisly sight. She had her Little Red costume on, with her hair in messy pigtails, and the cape was shredded. She looked almost as though she had been attacked by a wolf.

Suki found Maka and Soul waiting for her out front with Black Star and Tsubaki. Maka had taken Suki's costume advice. She looked like she came straight out of a cheesy horror film. She wore a long black dress with a matching pointed hat. Her face was painted green, almost like the "Wizard of Oz" style. She even had the broomstick sitting beside her.

Black Star must have felt lazy, because he just went as a mummy, wrapped in bandages from head to toe. Tsubaki, however, became a skeleton girl. She put a lot of time into it, so it looked realistic.

Soul had become a werewolf, with patches of fake fur on his skin, a shredded jacket, and old, dirty jeans and sneakers. Even his hair was messy.

Suki beamed. "You guys look great!" she exclaimed in awe.

"You too, Su," Tsubaki replied. "I really like yours."

"Tsubaki, those bones look very real. Almost thought you had shapeshifted or something."

Tsubaki laughed.

Suki lifted the cloth on her basket and held it out. "Who wants chocolate chip muffins? Marie helped me make a couple dozen. They're still warm."

Soul and Black Star practically jumped on her to get one. The two of them ate about three each. Maka complimented her on how well they were made, and how the chocolate melted in her mouth. Suki smiled with pride.

"Hey, you seen Akito and Kid's crew yet?" Maka asked, and Suki shook her head.

"Nope. Not yet," she said. "But I hope he does show up. I'm kinda curious as to what he-"

Before she could finish her statement, someone grabbed her wrist in one hand, while another wrapped around her waist. She didn't have time to turn around before the stranger's face was suddenly very close to her ear.

"I can smell your blood," a soft voice said, and Suki stiffened as she heard him inhale deeply. "So sweet. Delectable."

The voice was immediately recognizable.

"Akito!" she squeaked. "Get off me! Let go!"

Maka started to giggle at her, and Black Star rolled his eyes. "That was just weird, Akito," he said in annoyance.

Akito laughed and released her, allowing her to turn around and hit him. He shrank back and gave her an apologetic glance while he laughed.

"Sorry, Suki!" he managed. "Couldn't help it. The opportunity was just way too perfect."

"Dude, sweet costume," Soul smirked.

And Suki had to admit, it was well made. He had actually put on a tuxedo for the occasion, the one he'd worn for the dance months before. He had slicked back his blond hair, and he had made himself look paler than he usually was. He flashed her his usual cocky grin, and Suki caught a glimpse of fake fangs covering his canines.

"Vampire," Suki nodded. "Yeah, it looks good."

"Well, ya know," he grinned. "Chicks love vamps." He winked at her.

Suki rolled her eyes, and Akito raised a brow, but shrugged.

"Sorry we're late," came Kid's voice from a few feet away. The group turned to see him and his weapons approaching. The girls had dressed in their usual clothes, but their skin was gray and flaking and their eyes were sunken. Zombies.

Kid, however, had taken the form of a cliché Grim Reaper, with a long black cloak that dragged slightly on the ground and a skeletal face. He looked dark and mysterious. But at the same time, Suki found herself blushing.

"Hey, Kid," Soul said with a shark-toothed grin. "Nice costumes."

"Thanks," Liz said. "Took us forever to get this right."

"Suki, can we talk?" Kid asked, taking Suki's elbow before she could respond. She stammered uselessly as he dragged her to an empty hallway.

"Suki, everyone wants to know, so can you just tell them to make them shut up?"

Suki tilted her head slightly, then snickered. "Oh wait. Is this about my biggest fear?"

Kid nodded.

Suki snickered. "I'm gonna tell you what I told everyone else. No."

Kid sighed. "Okay, fine."

Classes came to an end, and the gang went to Kid's place for a party. Suki sat by the punch bowl, nodding her head to the music. Maka and Patty tried to make her come dance with them, but she politely refused and hid inside her red hood shyly. They begged her for few moments longer, then groaned and gave up.

Suki took the hood off, looked around and smiled as the others chatted, danced, and laughed. She felt happy to be amongst her friends, and it made her happy to see that everyone was having a good time. Suki looked out the window and saw children running down the street in their costumes, knocking on peoples' doors and being given candy. She remembered her brothers, how they used to do that every year. Suki frowned. She missed them. A lot.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a slight tickling at her ear. She went to scratch it and felt something move. Suki grabbed it and pulled it away so she could see it.

It was a black spider, maybe the size of a nickel. It scuttled along her hand, up her forearm, and Suki shook her arm to get it off of her.

"Oh god, gross!" she squealed. "Ew! Oh gosh!"

When she was sure it was gone, she turned to find Soul and Black Star laughing at her. She rolled her eyes.

"That didn't scare me as much as it grossed me out, guys!"

Soul looked up. "Sorry, Su," he snickered.

Black Star walked to her and stopped laughing. "Come on, Suki, we've been trying all week to figure it out, so can you just tell us?" he whined.

"No way! That's my secret and it'll stay that way!" she cried.

And then the lights went out. The music stopped. The room went quiet.

"Kid," came Liz's voice in the dark. "The power cut out."

But there was no response.

"Kid?" Suki called.

Silence.

"Maka?" Soul tried.

"I'm here," came the reply.

"Black Star?" Tsubaki called, her soft voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah," he responded immediately, and Suki heard her sigh in relief.

"Hey, Akito? You okay?" Suki called.

But he didn't reply either.

Now Suki's heart rate started to rise. She tried to make her eyes adjust to the darkness, but the night was pitch black, so it didn't help much.

There was a shout, and Patty cried out as Liz started to shriek. Suki's eyes widened and she tried to make her way over to them.

"Liz? Patty? What's wrong?" Maka cried.

The shrieking continued for a few more seconds, then they both went silent.

"Liz?" Soul called. "Patty?"

No reply.

"Oh god," Suki whispered. "What's happening?"

She felt someone grab her wrist, and she cried out and spun.

"Just me!" Tsubaki said. "It's okay!"

Suki relaxed, but she could feel her body trembling. She gripped Tsubaki's hand, finding a sense of security in it.

"Anyone else here?" Suki called.

Maka, Soul, and Black Star replied.

"Where is everyone else?" Maka asked.

"I don't know," Soul answered. "I don't think I like this."

And then Maka started to scream.

Soul went into a panic and tried to find her, but then he started shouting too. Suki was freaking out now. She was sweating a bit, despite the cool air of the room. Black Star tried to help, but she heard him trip and fall. He cursed in pain.

Then there was silence once again.

"Maka?" Tsubaki called shakily.

Nothing.

"Soul?" Suki yelled into the dark.

Absolute silence.

"Black Star, you okay?" Suki tried instead.

But he didn't respond.

Tsubaki gave a gasp. "Oh no," she whispered. "Black Star."

Suki squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We'll find out what's going on," she promised.

Something brushed her arm. Suki squeaked and jumped.

"You okay?" Tsubaki asked.

"I think something's here with us," Suki whispered.

"What?"

But Suki didn't have the chance to speak before Tsubaki suddenly shrieked and was ripped from her grasp. Suki screamed her name and groped around in the dark for her, but she felt nothing.

Silence fell. Suki was alone.

"Tsubaki?" she called to the emptiness.

Nothing.

"Guys?!" Her voice was shaking now.

Nothing.

She sat there in the silence for several seconds, fear and panic taking hold. Her mind was racing with possibilities. Did some creature find its way in and take her friends? Is it coming for her next?

Her heart rate quickened and she suddenly felt like the room was getting smaller, like it would crush her at any moment. Suki's body trembled as she continued to call out her friends' names, only to be met with empty silence, save for her own heartbeat in her ears.

A hand clamped around her mouth and someone lifted her off the ground. Suki screamed and kicked and thrashed. But she stopped struggling when she heard a familiar voice.

"Gotcha."

The lights came back on, and Suki squinted while her eyes adjusted. She turned to find Kid standing behind her, a wide grin on his face. She saw everyone else standing, perfectly unharmed, smiling at her.

"But-you were-how are-" Suki stuttered and her eyes widened.

Black Star and Soul started laughing at her confused face. "We really got her good!" Soul snickered.

Maka giggled and gave her an apologetic glance. "Stein told Akito you had a huge fear of monsters in the dark. 'Fear of the unknown' he said. So he told us and we tried it out. Apparently it works."

Suki's face flushed in embarrassment. They'd finally figured it out.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm afraid of being alone in the dark. It makes the room feel like it's slowly getting smaller. Kind of a mixture of claustrophobia and fear of the dark."

Tsubaki smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen."

Black Star nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Yeah! You're our friend. We won't let ya die on us yet!"

Suki smiled and punched Akito's shoulder. "That's for asking!"

Akito winced. "Jeez, sorry."

She rolled her eyes. "But...that was a pretty good prank."

Soul and Black Star laughed again as the music started back up and the party continued all night.


	4. The Secret

Suki felt weird.

Her stomach kept turning in strange ways as she listened to Kid talk about a new book he'd recently finished. She found herself hanging onto his every word, savoring the voice behind them. Her face flushed whenever he neared her, and her heart raced when he smiled.

At first, she thought she may be sick, so she had Stein take a look at her. He said she was perfectly fine. So why did she still feel so...jittery?

She wanted to ask Marie for advice, but she was busy for the next three days out on a trip for Lord Death. So instead, she asked Tsubaki.

"Sounds like you're in love," she giggled.

Suki immediately blushed. "W-What? No way. I'm not in love with anyone."

Tsubaki shrugged. "Well, you've known him for several months now. So it wouldn't surprise me if feelings began to emerge from your hearts."

Suki looked at her feet, suddenly fascinated with the pattern of her shoes. "He probably doesn't feel the same way," she mumbled in defeat.

"Don't get discouraged yet, but try to show him how you feel."

Suki nodded. And she did try, but he was always busy with something.

But one day, things changed.

Kid had accepted another mission but wanted to bring Suki along this time. When she asked why he started describing the mission as dealing with a poltergeist haunting a large hotel outside the city.

"I thought it may pique your interest," he chuckled as a smile spread across her face. "So will you come with me?"

Suki accepted immediately. Now not only would she be able to spend time with her crush, but she'd get to take on a poltergeist. How much better could this get?

When the day of the trip came, Suki had a backpack full of clothes and snacks and was sitting on the front porch, waiting for Kid to meet her. She sat on the steps with a peeled banana in her hand for several minutes before she saw him rolling up on his skateboard. He smiled at her, and her belly fluttered.

"Ready?" he asked. "The girls already have a head start on us."

She nodded and slung the bag over her shoulder. "We gotta pick up Akito first. Then we'll go."

He nodded and took her hand, pulling her onto the skateboard behind him. "Hang on tight," he said, before kicking off again. She gasped and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding on as if for dear life.

She heard him laugh a little. "I warned you, Suki!"

When she finally registered the fact that she was closer than she'd ever been to Kid, they had reached Akito's apartment. She quickly stepped off the skateboard, her face turning beet red. "I-I'll go get him!"

Akito opened his door just as she was about to knock. He had dressed in his usual outfit, jeans with a red shirt and black jacket. His blond hair was cut shorter now because he wanted to "look a little cooler". He flashed her a smirk. "Ya ready, Su?"

She nodded, the blush slowly starting to fade. Akito went to the parking lot and grabbed his motorbike. Being sixteen, he could get one easy. Suki climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She didn't feel nervous being this close to Akito, but with Kid...

"Hey, Kid," Akito said. "Race ya!" And with that, Akito started up the bike and sped off. Kid grinned and rode after them, his skateboard surprisingly able to keep up with the speed of the bike.

Once they made it to the hotel in question and the group settled in, Kid briefed them on their mission.

"Okay, so we are dealing with a ghost or a poltergeist, or maybe something bigger. Nobody knows for sure. There have been reports of strange figures in the different rooms, objects moving on their own, and several other unexplained phenomena. Our job is to basically perform an exorcism to get rid of it."

Liz shivered. "I hate ghosts..." she whimpered.

"Never seen ghostly activity before," Suki said, clearly very intrigued. "How long do you think it will take?"

"At most, maybe four days if we're careful," said Kid, smiling at her. Her insides melted again.

"We should lock the doors and windows, and protect them with something," Akito said.

"I already took care of that. Liz, Patty and I put salt around them. Apparently, it traps spirits or wards them away or something." Kid shrugged.

Liz spoke up again. "Well, if we're gonna start searching, Patty"s coming with me, because I'm not going alone."

Patty giggled in response. "Kay!"

"I'll take Suki with me," Akito said.

"That leaves me. I'll go with the girls," Kid added.

"Let's meet up here by dark?" Suki suggested.

Kid shook his head. "If there's one thing you need to know about ghosts, they appear only at night. Get as much rest as you can, because it's gonna be a long night."

* * *

Night had fallen, turning the hotel dark and creepy. This marked day two. Akito and Suki illuminated the space around them with their flashlights.

"So what do you think it is?" Akito asked.

Suki shrugged. "I think two things. One, people are melodramatic. Two, we could be dealing with a ghost or a demon."

Akito looked at her. "You feeling okay?"

She sighed, then showed him her trembling hand. "As you can see, I'm a little scared."

"Think you'll eventually get used to the place? After maybe a day?"

She nodded.

"Hey, you're alright," Akito said gently, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulder. "I've gotcha."

She smiled. "Best weapon ever."

* * *

Kid and the girls searched the rooms, Liz being the most frightened. Patty was humming happily, without a care in the world. Kid was indifferent. Just another mission.

But his mind couldn't help but wander a bit. And for some strange reason, his thoughts kept drifting to Suki. He found himself fixating his mind's eye onto her image. Her beautifully, symmetrically parted red hair that framed her perfect face wonderfully well. Her vibrant green eyes, and the way they glowed when her symmetrical lips curled into that beautiful, almost heartbreaking smile. Her cute, button-like nose, her beautiful piano fingers, symmetrically painted, the way she dressed, casual and yet fancy...

"Kid?"

Liz's voice jerked him back to reality. "Hmm?" he blinked dumbly.

"You okay? You spaced out."

"Yes," Kid said. "Just...thinking. Of how we're gonna deal with this quickly."

Liz shrugged.

They came to a corridor upstairs that went in two directions. Kid went one way and the girls went the other, Liz insisting she stay with Patty.

Kid walked into one of the bedrooms. Like the other ones, it was nicely furnished, with only a layer of dust tarnishing its beauty. There was a queen size bed against one wall, a nightstand with a lamp next to it, a dresser against the other wall. The bathroom looked clear too. Lights didn't work, but that was to be expected.

The door to the room creaked and slammed shut. Kid tried to open it, but it was jammed.

"Kid," said a voice from behind him. He turned to find Suki standing there in all her beauty, a small smirk on her face.

"Oh hey Suki," he smiled. "I can't open the door, it's-"

He was cut off mid-sentence by Suki pressing her lips against his. She kissed him gently, but passion clearly shone through.

When she pulled away, he noticed that her face had gone red.

"S-Suki...what was that?" he asked her, completely lost.

"Kid, I-I...have liked you for a while...no not liked, _wanted_ , you for a while. And...we're alone..." A deeper blush spread across her cheeks.

Kid blushed too. "Uhh Suki, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

He looked at her. "What's going on with you? Suki, you would never ask this."

Suki's image began to shimmer, and Kid realized. _It's a trick,_ he thought. _My own thoughts of Suki betrayed me._

He stepped back. "Who and what are you?"

The fake Suki cocked her head to the side. "Kid...what's wrong?"

He stared hard at her, no, _it_ , with his golden eyes. "You're not Suki."

Suddenly there was a scream from downstairs, and the false Suki disappeared. Kid threw the door open and practically flew down the stairs to the source.

He met Akito in a hallway, and he was a bit panicked. "She got trapped in one of the rooms. I tried to bust the door open, but I can't!"

The girls followed Kid and Akito to the door that Suki was trapped behind. Kid could tell she was scared.

"Suki?" Kid called. "Can you hear me?"

"Help me Kid!" came her shaky, terror-stricken whimper. "It's dark, and I keep hearing things moving."

"Hang on, Su," Akito said. "We're coming!"

"Stand back," Kid said, and Liz and Patty turned into their weapon forms. He fired a couple times at the door, but it didn't seem to be doing any damage.

"The hell?" Liz cried.

Suki screamed again, and there was a crash. Kid fired again, and this time, the door splintered. They rushed inside and found Suki on the floor, unconscious. Her forehead was bleeding, and on her pale forearm the words "GET OUT NOW" were scratched in.

Akito immediately rushed to her side. Kid's heart pounded.

She groaned a bit as Akito picked her up in his arms. The girls looked very concerned.

Akito handed her off to Kid while he went to find a first aid kit. "Set her on a couch and don't let her out of your sight!" Akito was clearly panicking.

Kid nodded and hurried to lay Suki down. She gripped his arm.

"Please..." she begged. "Please stay. Don't leave me alone."

Kid's face softened into a small, reassuring smile. "I'm right here. Just rest now. How's your head?"

"Hurts..." she moaned. "And my arm is numb."

Akito came back with bandages and rubbing alcohol. He was shaking so hard from worry that he could barely stand upright. Kid stopped him from trying to tend to Suki's wounds and told the girls to take him outside for some fresh air. With a calm face and steady hands, Kid started to dab at her forehead with a cloth.

"Kid...if you hadn't come in...could I have died?" Suki asked.

He hesitated before responding. "Yes...there's always the possibility."

Suki cringed.

"But you didn't," he said quickly. "That's the important thing. You didn't. And you're not going to for a while."

She nodded in understanding. "I know, but...Kid, it was scary in there."

He gave her that soft smile again. "It's okay. You don't need to worry anymore. That's over now. Just relax."

Suki's body slowly weakened, and she closed her eyes. Kid thought she looked so beautiful as she laid there, sleeping as though she were a little doll. Peaceful, gentle. It made his heart flutter, but his hands kept still as they finished cleaning and bandaging the nasty gash on her forehead.

He looked around the room, waiting to see something. Anything. Anything that could tell them how to get this mission finished.

"Whoever...or whatever you are," he said aloud. "Leave now. Nobody has to get hurt anymore. Just leave and we won't have to do it the hard way."

At first, there was no answer, so he turned back to Suki. Then he heard something. A small laugh.

* * *

The third day came and went uneventfully. When night fell, Kid and Suki searched apart, each with the other on their minds. Suki really wanted Kid to kiss her for the first time. She would have told him her feelings last night, but it wasn't...romantic enough.

Kid had helped them recap everything that was seen and heard last night. After she had fallen asleep, Kid had heard a man's voice, laughing. They knew they were dealing with something big, but not one of them had a clue what exactly it was.

Suki went into one of the rooms, Akito's sword mode in one hand, flashlight in the other. She moved the light around until she saw Kid, lying on the floor, unconscious.

"Kid!" Suki gasped, dropping Akito and rushing to him. He wasn't harmed, and the girls weren't with him. She started to panic.

"Suki..." Kid groaned. "Get away..."

She looked at him and reached out to help him to his feet.

Kid suddenly sat up and slapped her hands away. "No! I said get away!" His voice was angry, his face full of malice.

"K-Kid, what's wrong?" Suki asked.

Akito stood up. "Su, you okay?"

She ignored him, her eyes filling with tears.

"You're wrong," Kid snarled. "Now stay away!"

"What are you talking about?"

His gold eyes, the ones that used to make her melt inside, now made her sad as they stared into her very core. "You're a worthless, red-haired freak."

"Hey!" Akito yelled. "What the hell was that for?"

"It's true!" Kid snapped back. "She's the whole reason her family was killed."

Suki gasped lightly, then stepped back, suddenly feeling very weak.

"She ran away like a coward. She failed them. And now they're all dead."

Akito clenched his fists and blinked in anger. "You are not Death the Kid."

Kid tilted his head.

"Kid would never say that. If you really are Kid...then you already know Suki's big secret."

He nodded. "I do know it. She's afraid of being trapped alone in the dark."

Akito smirked. "Wrong secret."

Suki's head pounded. The wound on her forehead began to ache. She wobbled and fell to her knees, her legs turning to jelly. "It's not him...it's not him..." She repeated that phrase over and over in her mind, her face slowly beginning to soften.

The thing pretending to be Suki's crush rolled its eyes. "What does it matter? You're all going to die anyway."

Akito threw a punch, but it went right through the thing.

"Akito!" Suki cried, but he was too slow. He wasn't able to dodge the chair, and it crashed into him, sending him sprawling against the far wall. He groaned and tried to stand up.

Suki turned and ran into the hallway, screaming for help as the ghost chased her. The adrenaline pumping through her made her forget about the darkness. She only focused on running away before that thing got her.

Kid appeared before her, and she ran behind him. He raised the Death Cannons he now held in his hands and fired. The ghost screamed and exploded, leaving a foul odor and a bit of ash.

Suki panted. "Akito...hurt...help him..."

Kid nodded and ran to find him.

She slowed her heart rate and looked around. The hotel suddenly felt lighter, better, more...comfortable. She sighed. "That was the scariest thing I've ever dealt with."

* * *

They made it back to Death City by the next afternoon. Akito sustained no severe injuries, and the words scratched into Suki's arm had mysteriously vanished. Her head ached, and her muscles were tired. She needed a hot shower and an actual night's rest.

But Kid wanted to see her. Said he had something very important to ask her. She showered quickly, brushed her hair out, grabbed a jacket and welcomed Marie home before rushing out the door.

"Hey," he said once she found him.

She smiled. "Hey. So...what's up?"

Kid suddenly looked very nervous. "S-Suki...while we were at that hotel, I got trapped in one of the rooms. The ghost...made itself look like you...and kissed me..."

Suki instantly blushed.

"And I-I...liked it."

"Huh?" Suki was surprised and puzzled at the same time.

"I liked it because I...I'd been thinking of you for a while. I wanted to ask you...if you liked me too. Akito said you did, but I wanted to make sure."

Suki made a mental note to punch Akito in the stomach for spilling the beans.

"Yes," she muttered. "I do. Have for a while now. A long while."

He blinked, and she looked down.

"I didn't know you felt the same," she continued.

Kid's gold eyes were warm as he lifted her chin to look at him. "Now you know," he whispered.

Suki's blush deepened as he took her hand, leaned in, and placed a kiss gently on her lips. Suki felt time slow down as they stood there for several seconds.

When they finally pulled apart, Kid asked Suki in a voice so soft an angel could have spoken, "Suki, will you be mine?"

She nodded eagerly and smiled wider than ever. He grinned back, hugged her, and swung her around.

Suki felt weightless as she walked home. Nothing could possibly spoil this moment for her...absolutely nothing.

* * *

"How long, Azusa?" Lord Death asked.

"About a month."

He wouldn't let anyone know, but he was worried. "I thought we'd never have to deal with another Kishin."

Spirit spoke up. "We can take him. I'd suggest using the students to try and help."

"We have no other options. Suki, Kid, Black Star, and Maka have all been continuously training. They may be our only hope."


	5. Intermission

Suki needs help!

Everyone, a Kishin is coming to Death City! Suki and the gang are going to need your help and encouragement to defeat it. Suki especially needs you, she's never fought a Kishin before. Come on guys! Rally together and give Suki Myori some words of encouragement!


End file.
